Home AI refers to various levels of automation for appliances and electronics in homes, businesses, automobiles, and other environments. Many conventional systems provide low levels of automation, and are closed to a predefined list of commands. For example, a coffee maker can be programmed to brew coffee at a certain time, lights in the home can be turned on automatically due to low lighting conditions, and power to electronics can be “clapped” on or “clapped” off. Also, smoke detectors and thermostats can perform certain actions based on certain direct instructions.
With the addition of networking, home automation devices can send alerts through a network. For instance, a conventional security system or fire detection system can send alerts through a network because of an intrusion or fire emergency, respectively. Other types of automation operate according to voice commands when a button is pushed to activate the voice command mode, such as on smartphones and in automobiles.
Problematically, conventional home AI fails to distinguish between multiple users in a common environment, at the same time. In some conventional systems, commands are processed without any voice analysis, thereby treating all users together as a single user. In other conventional systems, a user is logged in, so commands are processed as all coming from a single identified user. The lack of identification limits personalization levels for AI interactions in conventional systems. But it is inconvenient, and unnatural, in a multi-user environment for users to constantly identify themselves.
Further, smartphone-based AI (e.g., Siri by Apple Computers of Cupertino, Calif.) and other hardware are device dependent, relying upon users carrying around and intentionally interacting with the smartphone or a specific piece of hardware. In particular, smartphone calls between two persons typically requires that a smartphone dialer application be initialized, a telephone number located and dialed, and continued possession of the smartphone throughout the telephone call. The calls are limited by battery life of the smartphone. Moreover, the smartphone AI functionality is not currently available in the home or business environment.
Another smartphone-based AI that relies upon users carrying around a physical device is location services. A user is assumed to be located proximate to the device which provides a location using GPS coordinates of the device.
What therefore is needed is a technique that locates and tracks multiple users within a device-independent AI environment. Location information should enable various applications, such as easily initiating and connecting device-independent telephone calls between the multiple users.